The present invention relates generally to food containers and more particularly to a serving plate with a sealing cover so as to provide for storage and transport as well as serving of the food contained therein.
Sealable food containers are known in the art. Illustrative in this respect is U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,860 to Littlejohn et al. In the ""860 patent there is disclosed a serving platter or base with an upwardly projecting sidewall integrally formed with a brim. The brim is formed with a number of integrally formed and cooperating features including a reinforcing hoop 50 (see FIG. 10 thereof, FIG. 1A herein) which is angled outwardly and connected to a sealing area 52 which is frusto-conical in shape and is tapered inwardly. Area 52, in turn, is connected to an upwardly and outwardly flared first base alignment surface 54 which extends to a resilient base realignment surface 56. Surface 56 extends to a second base realignment surface 58 which is coupled to an outwardly and downwardly extending surface 60. An undercut secondary sealing ridge 62 is formed in the outermost extremity of the surface 60. In order to aid in the structural integrity of this brim of the base, a downwardly and outwardly flared peripheral base reinforcing hoop 64 is provided between the undercut secondary seal ridge 62 and the reinforcing ring 30.
The lid or cover configured to fit the platter includes a dome with an extension 24a adjacent a connecting ring 26a which, in turn, extends out to brim 16a of the lid. The brim includes an upwardly and outwardly extending alignment surface 66 connected to an inwardly tapered frusto-conical lid seal area 68. Lid seal area 68 adjoins an upwardly and outwardly flaring wall portion 70 which connects to a resilient lid realignment surface 72. A flaring reinforcing hoop 74 extends downwardly from surface 72 to a lid seal furrow 76. Lid seal furrow 76 of the lid cooperates with secondary sealing ridge 62 of the base to form a secondary seal between the lid and plate, whereas the base seal cover 52 cooperates with lid surface 10 seal area 68 to form the primary seal.
Thus, in accordance with the ""860 patent, there is provided a food container with a dual flexible brim seal between the lid and base portion by way of the respective brim designs.
The present invention is likewise directed to a sealable food container, wherein the base is in the form of a plate or platter provided with a sidewall and an arcuate flange portion as well as a sealing lid which engages the sidewall of the plate. As such, the present invention provides enhanced hand feel and utility as a food service article as opposed to being designed particularly for storage and re-heating. Preferred embodiments are enabled by way of the novel sidewall sealing system which makes it possible to preserve the aesthetics of the serving plate or platter.
There is thus provided in accordance with the present invention a sealable food container including: (a) a base serving member having a substantially planar central portion, a sidewall extending generally upwardly and outwardly therefrom and an outer flange portion extending outwardly from the sidewall; which sidewall defines a sealing area with an annular sealing surface between the substantially planar central portion of the base serving member and its outer flange portion; the sidewall further defining a base stop ridge at a periphery of the sealing area of the sidewall; and (b) a sealing lid provided with a dome portion and a flexible sidewall extending downwardly from the dome portion as well as a flange portion extending outwardly with respect to the downwardly extending sidewall; the flange portion defining a sealing area with another annular sealing surface extending upwardly with respect to the downwardly extending sidewall of the sealing lid; and the flange portion further defining a lid stop ridge. The base serving member and the sealing lid are configured such that when the sealing lid is forced downwardly on the base serving member the annular sealing surface of the sealing lid is urged into surface-to-surface contact with the annular sealing surface of the base serving member and secured by cooperation of the base stop ridge of the base serving member and the lid stop ridge of the sealing lid.
In another aspect of the invention, there is provided a food container which includes: (i) a container base having (a) a substantially planar central area, (b) a container base sidewall extending outwardly and upwardly from the central area having: (1) a container base sealing area with an annular sealing surface formed in the container base sidewall, and (2) a container base stop ridge adjacent the container base sealing area, and (c) an outwardly extending convex rim adjoining the container base stop ridge having an outer lip formed thereabout; and (ii) a resilient mating domed lid having (a) a raised central portion, (b) a downwardly extending resilient lid sidewall adjoining the raised central portion, (c) a flexible surround adjoining and extending outwardly about the downwardly extending resilient lid sidewall, (d) an outwardly extending flange adjoining the surround having (1) a lid sealing area with an annular sealing surface formed therein for engaging the container base sealing area formed in the container base sidewall, (2) a lid stop ridge formed in the flange adjacent the lid sealing area wherein the downwardly extending resilient lid sidewall, flexible surround and the outwardly extending flange are configured to urge the annular lid sealing area into contact area engagement with the annular container base sealing area while the lid stop ridge and container base stop ridge are configured to retain the annular lid sealing surface and annular container base sealing surface in area engagement with each other.
The containers of the invention may be constructed so that one or more container bases are configured to receive a common lid. There is thus provided in still yet another aspect of the present invention a sealable food container ensemble with common lidding including: (a) a sealing lid provided with a dome portion and a flexible lid sidewall extending downwardly from the dome portion as well as a lid flange portion extending outwardly with respect to the downwardly extending lid sidewall; (i) the lid flange portion defining a lid sealing area with an annular sealing surface extending upwardly with respect to the downwardly extending lid sidewall; (ii) the lid flange portion further defining a lid stop ridge; as well as (b) a plurality of container bases such as one or more bowls, plates or platters, each of which bases includes a substantially planar container base central portion, a container base sidewall extending generally upwardly and outwardly therefrom and a container base outer flange portion extending outwardly from the sidewall; (i) each of the container base sidewalls defining a container base sealing area with an annular sealing surface disposed between its substantially planar container base central portion at a container base interior height intermediate the substantially planar container base central portion and the container base outer flange portion; (ii) each of the container base sidewalls further defining a container base stop ridge; wherein each of the plurality of container bases and the sealing lid are configured such that when the sealing lid is forced downwardly on one of the container bases, the annular sealing surface of the sealing lid is urged into surface-to-surface contact with the annular sealing surface of the container base and secured by cooperation of the lid stop ridge and the container base stop ridge; the food container ensemble including at least a first container base with a first container interior height and at least a second container base with a second container interior height which differs substantially from the first container interior height. Still further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the discussion which follows.